Uterine artery embolization in the treatment and prevention of postpartum hemorrhage

OBJECTIVES

The study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of superselective transcatheter uterine artery embolization for control of obstetric hemorrhage.

METHODS

Between January 2002 and December 2005, 14 consecutive patients underwent uterine artery embolization to control postpartum hemorrhage, and two to prevent hemorrhage before second-trimester therapeutic abortion.

RESULTS

Embolization was performed by transfemoral arterial catheterization. Pieces of absorbable gelatin sponge were used in all cases, with the addition of platinum coils in two cases for complete vessel occlusion. Optimal bleeding control was achieved in all cases but one--a patient who underwent hysterectomy due to embolization failure. No severe complications were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The high success rate, low morbidity rate, and possibility of preserving reproductive function have made superselective uterine artery embolization the technique of choice to control life-threatening, intractable postpartum hemorrhage in hemodynamically stable patients, provided multidisciplinary medical teams are promptly available.

Percutaneous Renal Artery Embolization of Nonfunctioning Allograft: Preliminary Experience

Percutaneous renal artery embolization has been introduced as an alternative to nephrectomy for patients with a nonfunctioning allograft and Graft Intolerance Syndrome. The symptoms resulting from this syndrome include fever, local pain, hypertension, and hematuria. From April 2003 to October 2003, 5 patients were treated with this technique. The intraparenchymal renal arteries were embolized by injection of calibrated tris-acryl gelatin microspheres of increasing size (from 100-330 to 700-900 microm) and completed with the insertion of 5-mm-8-mm steel coils in the renal artery. The procedure was well tolerated in all cases; no major complications occurred. In 3 patients, the symptoms disappeared immediately. In 1 patient, it was necessary to perform a second embolization due to collateral circulation developing from a lumbar artery; this further procedure resolved the symptoms. In the last case, the patient underwent nephrectomy because of septic fever. In conclusion, patients with this syndrome refractory to medical treatment may be treated by the effective and minimally invasive procedures of percutaneous allograft artery embolization with no significant short-term or late complications.

Thoracic aortic stents: a combined solution for complex cases

OBJECTIVES

The combination of endovascular and standard surgical techniques may facilitate the management of complex aortic disease although the long-term durability of this approach needs to be confirmed.

DESIGN

A retrospective review of our experience in the treatment of patients with complex aortic pathology using a combined endovascular and surgical approach.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between 1998 and 2001, 27 patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm underwent stent-graft implantation. Eight required combined endovascular and surgical procedure because of complex pathology. In 3 cases, combined repair was carried out for a concomitant abdominal aortic aneurysm or aorto-iliac-femoral occlusive disease. In the other 5 cases, vessel relocation was performed to obtain safe landing zones: left subclavian artery to left carotid artery translocation in 3 patients, celiac trunk to superior mesenteric artery translocation in one and aorto-celiac-mesenteric bypass grafting in one.

RESULTS

One of the 8 patients died on 12th post-operative day of intestinal bleeding and bowel infarction. No neurological sequelae were reported. The other patients are currently well at 11 months mean follow-up time.

CONCLUSIONS

Simultaneous surgical and endovascular procedure is a feasible and may be a valuable adjunct to the treatment of complex aortic and peripheral vessel anatomy.

New perspectives for the treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysm with self-expanding endoprostheses. Preliminary experience

We present our preliminary experience with the application of covered aortic stents to treat aneurysms and dissections of the thoracic artery, a technique that was developed in 1996. Seven selected patients were treated with World Medical Talent bare spring tip endoprostheses and followed up for a total of 67 months. All prostheses were implanted at the Parma General Hospital Cardiovascular Department. Seven patients, average age 57.8 years, range 44-73 years, were treated; a total of 11 prosthetic segments were implanted. Aortic pathologies included: 2 isthmic atherosclerotic aneurysms, 2 chronic dissections, 1 acute dissection, 1 thoracic aneurysm associated with an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta below the renal arteries. Dilation diameters ranged from 6-9 cm, lengths from 4-12 cm. All patients underwent computerized tomography and angiography before stent implantation. The procedure was carried out in an operating room with the patient under general anesthesia and in controlled hypotension. In 2 cases the common iliac artery, prepared for the extraperitoneal route by application of a No. 10 Dacron introducer sheath, was used as the insertion site; in 4 cases the common femoral artery was used, in the case of the double aneurysm the traditional surgical route was used to correct the abdominal aneurysm, and the thoracic aneurysm was repaired through the abdominal prosthesis. All patients were released in good condition; thrombosis of the aneurysm surrounding the graft was immediate in all cases except one which required the application of a second segment shortly after the initial procedure. There were no major complications; one case of iatrogenic dissection of the femoral artery used as the access site required a prosthetic bypass. No implant-related complications were observed during follow-up. Our initial experience has been favorable and demonstrates that stents can be utilized for aortic pathologies of varying etiologies; we had no mortality or major complications, and hospital stays were short. Long term results must be confirmed before the therapeutic potential of this technique can be fully evaluated.

[Endoluminal repair of aortic aneurysms. Our experience]

From February 1998 and March 2000 fourteen patients underwent "custom made" aortic self-expanding endoprostheses implantation (World Medical Talent Sunrise): nine of them for dilative pathology of thoracic aorta and 5 for abdominal aortic aneurysm below renal arteries. The etiology was degenerative in 8 patients, false aneurysm in 2, chronic dissection in 2 cases, acute dissection in one patient and post traumatic in the last one. All patients underwent preoperative Computed Tomography and Substraction Angiography studies. Stent-graft implantation was successful in all cases but one who required the conversion of the endovascular procedure in traditional surgery for technical problems. There were no perioperative deaths or major complications. We registered 2 cases of dissection of the femoral artery used to introduce the stent-graft, and treated with an iliac-femoral prosthetic bypass. There were no cases of paraplegia or renal failure or bowel ischemia. With the exception of one patient, died for a car accident, the others are alive and continue their scheduled follow-up controls. Our experience shows that this procedure is safe, allowing favorable results, if compared to traditional surgery, even if it requires further long-term evaluations.

TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt): state of art and personal experience

After a brief historical view, we describe the basic technique currently used to create percutaneous portosystemic shunt. Between September 1992 and March 1995, TIPS was achieved in 50 out of 52 patients; main indications included bleeding from esophageal or gastric varices and refractory ascites. The mean portal pressure reduction was 14.9 mmHg and the mean residual portosystemic gradient was 10.5 mmHg. The average follow-up time was 11.8 months; in this period the overall mortality rate was 28%, while rebleeding occurred in 8 patients and new onsets of encephalopathy occurred in 4 cases. The major problems were due to shunt related complications observed in 46% of the patients; close follow-up and reintervention are required to keep the shunt previous. TIPS, developed ad an alternative to surgery and endoscopic sclerotherapy, is an effective and relatively safe procedure for the treatment of symptomatic portal hypertensive patient.

Is the tantalum Strecker stent suitable for TIPS creation? Short- and mid-term results in 20 consecutive patients

PURPOSE

To assess the suitability of tantalum Strecker stents for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation.

METHODS

TIPS was performed with Strecker balloon-expandable stents in the first 20 patients of our series. A total of 26 prostheses were utilized (average 1.3 per patient).

RESULTS

Immediate technical success was achieved in all 20 cases. Nine patients (45%) died during follow-up. The overall average follow-up period was 18.9 months; the 11 survivors were followed for a mean period of 29.8 months. In 4 patients (20%) the stent dislodged towards the hepatic vein during withdrawal of the balloon catheter, and difficulties in recatheterizing the shunt for routine control portal phlebography were frequently encountered. Rebleeding occurred in 5 cases and aggravation of pre-existing encephalopathy occurred in 2 cases. Shunt occlusions or stenosis required further intervention in 4 and 9 patients, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In our opinion the tantalum Strecker stent is not particularly suitable for TIPS. Although it has evident advantages, such as high radiopacity and minimal shortening after deployment, the tendency of the device to dislodge and the difficulty in recatheterization during portal phlebography were important drawbacks. Furthermore, the atraumatic ends of the device did not seem to reduce shunt-related complications, which were comparable to those occurring with other types of stent.

Peripheral arteriography with a new nonionic agent: comparison of iomeprol with iopamidol

Aim of this randomized, double-blind, parallel group study was to compare the safety, tolerance and diagnostic efficacy of iomeprol and iopamidol, both at iodine concentration of 150 mgI/ml, in 100 adult patients undergoing peripheral intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (IA-DSA). All patients underwent extensive pre- and post-contrast clinical, instrumental and laboratory evaluation for safety assessments. The tolerance to the test compounds was evaluated in terms of discomfort associated with the injection of the test compounds. Image quality was prospectively graded by two independent readers according to a five-point scale as 1, insufficient; 2, sufficient; 3, good; 4, excellent; or E, excessive. At the end of the study, two experienced radiologists working at institutions other than the study centre and not aware of patients identity, clinical profile or results of other imaging procedures, jointly evaluated study images using the same ordinal scale. The procedure was always well tolerated. None of the studied patients experienced adverse events. All angiographic examinations were rated as diagnostic. The quality of the radiographs was judged as excellent or good in most individual patient studies, without significant differences between the two study groups. No significant differences between the results of prospective on-site assessment and retrospective external assessment were detected. The results of our study show that iomeprol and iopamidol are equally effective, well tolerated and safe contrast agents when used for peripheral IA-DSA.

Duplex ultrasound diagnosis of symptomatic proximal deep vein thrombosis of lower limbs

Real time ultrasound (US) was used to examine 165 consecutive inpatients with clinically suspected deep vein thrombosis of lower limbs. In order to evaluate accuracy, the results of non-invasive techniques were compared with ascending venography, performed in all patients. Assessment included only femoro-popliteal veins, because of difficulty in visualizing calf vein with US. Diagnosis of thrombosis was based on noncompressibility of the examined veins; pulsed Doppler provided further information by evaluating blood flow. In our series Duplex ultrasound was very accurate in detecting acute thrombosis of the proximal veins, sensitivity being 97% and specificity 98%. With US it is also possible to detect conditions that mimic deep vein thrombosis, such as muscular rupture, hematoma, popliteal cyst or compressive tumors. In conclusion US is considered a valid alternative to contrast venography in the diagnosis of proximal vein thrombosis of lower limbs.

[The spastic pelvic floor syndrome: its diagnosis and treatment]

The spastic pelvic floor syndrome, caused by a paradox contraction of the sphincteric apparatus at defaecation instead of relaxing, leads to constipation with difficult evacuation. Forty patients (15 males and 25 females, average age 49 years, age range 15-78) affected by serious chronic idiopathic constipation, underwent, at our Institute, from June 1989 to September 1990, the following instrumental examinations: anal manometry; electromyography of the pelvic floor; proctogram; intestinal transit time; anorectal endoscopy; in addition, in 6 cases at risk for colorectal cancer, left colonoscopy. Fifteen patients showed dyskinetic functioning of the voluntary sphincteric apparatus. The following diagnostic methods proved to be of fundamental importance: proctogram, which revealed failure to open of the anorectal angle at defaecation (mean values: at rest 88.93 degrees +/- 6.62; at defaecation 88.93 degrees +/- 9.44); electromyography of the pelvic floor, which showed the anomalous contraction of the external anal sphincter. These patients were treated by means of an air inflated endoampullary balloon to evoke the sensation of a stool and its subsequent expulsion. The correct evacuating function was resumed definitely in 9 patients (60%); for the remaining 6 patients, regular sessions of re-education are still necessary. The spastic pelvic floor syndrome is a major cause of constipation and requires an accurate diagnostic method of investigating the correct functioning of the recto-pelvic region by means of the above-mentioned methods.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Recanalization with laser and angioplasty of atherosclerotic lesions of the legs. Personal experience with 31 treated lesions]

From January to November 1989, 31 iliac and femoro-popliteal atherosclerotic lesions were treated in 29 patients (age range: 33-80 years) by means of percutaneous laser-assisted angioplasty. The lesions were 6 iliac tubular stenoses, 6 iliac occlusions and 19 femoro-popliteal occlusions, 2-20 cm long. The laser equipment employed was in 10 cases a Cardiolase 4000 Nd:YAG "hot tip" unit, and in 21 cases a Nd:YAG "sapphire contact probe" unit. Initial success was achieved in 23/31 lesions (74%); the follow-up, by clinical examination, Doppler US, and ankle-arm pressure index performed every 4th month, showed 1-year actuarial patency of 80% for femoro-popliteal occlusion and 100% for iliac lesion, with 87% cumulative patency. Overall complication rate was 22.5%. There were 6 local complications, 4 of which were hematomas at the arterial puncture site, and 2 were performation of the superficial femoral artery, all without any clinical sequelae; one patient developed rethrombosis within 72 hours from treatment, which needed amputation after an emergency bypass. Our preliminary results show no significant improvement when compared with conventional balloon angioplasty results both in immediate success rate and in short-to-midterm patency; furthermore, laser therapy was burdened by a higher complication rate. We believe that laser angioplasty should be employed only in arterial occlusion uncrossable with angiographic guidance alone.

[Ultrasonography in the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis of the legs]

One hundred consecutive inpatients with clinically suspected deep venous thrombosis (DVT) were examined by US; the last 19 cases were studied also by means of color-Doppler US. In order to evaluate the method reliability, US results were compared with those obtained with contrast venography, which was performed on all patients. The studied region included the femoro-popliteal vein, while no attempt was made to image the calf veins, which are difficult to evaluate with US. In our series, venographic results were in substantial agreement with US findings, with 99% and 100% sensitivity and specificity, respectively. Diagnosis was based only on noncompressibility of the thrombotic vein, despite the absence of visible clots; pulsed Doppler information supported diagnosis by evaluating blood flow. Further diagnostic progress was provided by color-Doppler US, which allows flow lumen to be defined in color. US also allowed the detection of the conditions mimicking DVT, such as muscular ruptures, hematomas, popliteal cysts, or compressive tumors. In conclusion, US and color-Doppler US prove to be valid alternatives to contrast venography in the diagnosis of proximal DVT of the lower limbs.

[Renal oncocytoma. Ultrasonographic study of 4 cases]

The authors report four cases of renal oncocytoma investigated by echography and proved by histology after surgery. Describing the clinical cases, after a brief review of the literature, the radiologic findings are analysed with particular regard to the sonographic signs that can preoperatively differentiate oncocytomas from carcinomas. The authors conclude that the only sonographic distinguishing feature is a quite characteristic central hyperechoic streak corresponding to the fibrous scar, frequently found in this benign tumor.